6/28/2023 0 Comments The fire court andrew taylor![]() Frieda paints a surprisingly funny account of a king obsessed by power and sex, who took Renaissance France in directions that his predecessors would never have dared, but was nearly undone by his own hubris only his mother Louise’s intelligence and steadfast diplomacy saved him. Francis I: The Maker of Modern FranceĬan a serious historical biography be too entertaining? In the case of Leonie Frieda’s rip-roaring book about Francis I, it’s a close-run thing. A must-read for anyone interested in theatre. Instead, Hytner proves an erudite, cheery chronicler of his notable successes (including The History Boys and War Horse) while not being afraid to acknowledge some of the more egregious failures on his watch, with self-deprecating stories aplenty. ![]() Thankfully, this engaging and thoroughly humane memoir of his experiences at the National avoids both luvvie anecdotes and excessive angst. As Rufus Norris, his successor as artistic director of the National Theatre, continues to attract mixed notices for his productions, Nicholas Hytner could be forgiven for looking back at his own time there with smug satisfaction. ![]()
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